The present invention relates to a method of extracting contents from sealed containers containing at least one substance using irrigation water, and for any irrigation system, for fertilising any type of decorative plant, grass or crop. The fertilising substance can be powder, crystalline, microgranulated, granulated or compacted in an appropriate manner in one or several pieces. The invention further relates to the device for implementing the method and to the sealed containers that will contain the fertilising substance.
US patent application 2004/0232163 describes a device which allows precisely controlling the weight of a powder fertiliser incorporated in a liquid flow by means of using a gravimetric sensor. This device is complex and expensive and is not suitable for a small-scale non-professional user.
In addition the use of pre-metered and pre-packaged portions of fertiliser for fertilising any type of crops and gardens using irrigation water has the advantage of aiding in maintenance and fertilising operations, saving manual labor and problems with the application of organic material (traditionally used method), which causes bad odors and the growth of weeds, while at the same time assuring fertiliser quality consistency.
Patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,493 considers as a problem the excessive complexity of the devices incorporating the fertiliser into the stream of irrigation water in a precise manner, and based on the idea that this precision in the formulation is unnecessary for most applications, it proposes the use of a frustoconical disposable cartridge containing the fertiliser in granular form. The base of the cartridge has a calibrated orifice for inflowing water and a plurality of peripheral outflow orifices. Both the inflow orifice and the outflow orifices remain covered until the cartridge is used by means of a self-adhesive film which must be manually removed.
Patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,890 considers the problem of the early fertiliser release by the previously mentioned devices in automatic irrigation systems. The proposed solution consists of the use of a closed cartridge by means of a membrane that is perforated by a hollow needle driven by the irrigation water when pressure is introduced in the circuit. The sealed cartridge thus does not allow its content to come out until irrigation is performed. Once the membrane is perforated, the irrigation water is injected therein through the center of the needle, peripherally extracting the fertilising solution.
Patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,618 describes the previous device, performing the injection of the irrigation water into the disposable cartridge through the outside of the perforating needle, whereas the fertilising solution is extracted through its inside through a conduit connected to a suction area in the water outflow.
Finally, patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,326 considers the problem of opening small gel capsules like those used for personal hygiene. The proposed solution is based on the manual compression of these capsules against fixed opening means arranged inside a container. These opening means are formed by cutting or sharp projections.